Stottie

Enough quality to overcome some very dirty play that should have been punished. Hope Krafth isn't too serious and that Lascelles can be back with a mask. Credit to him for playing on and scoring an important goal. Otherwise, job done and a match and opponent to forget. Hope its a home draw next time.

Amazing news! Isak is right footed but has a two-to-one left/right split in the goals he's scored. He even outperforms xG on his weaker foot. His record is 1 goal in 2 games in La Liga based on minutes played. A big dribbler too. One problem we have is teams doubling up on ASM, but that won't be possible with other major threats in the team.

Sorry not a rumour, but I wonder if our people have reassessed or recalibrated their aims or how much the budget should be given how the transfer market has been going. There are lots of crazy-sounding fees out there. What may be thought of as a "Saudi tax" is probably just the new normal. I thought Gordon looked useful against us and in the Liverpool derby, but 70M for him is very very high. Perhaps Grealish, Ben White, and Harry Maguire were just signs of what was to come.

The sneering from some quarters at our owners and renewed (post our takeover and Abramovich's frozen assets) lesser sneering at Man City for theirs mean this match will never be celebrated as the best of the Premier League. However, it was a bloody good match, really top drawer entertainment driven by very high levels of skill. Exceptional dribbling, exceptional throughballs, an exceptional freekick, and exceptional goalkeeping to deny an exceptional explosion of pace. None of the goals came from a clear error, like Mendy at the weekend. I've not heard any tactical analysis yet, but you could make the argument that Pep was naive to not set up more defensively against us given what happened to Arsenal at SJP. I would expect the next Top 6 side coming to SJP to be more wary and look to cancel us out in the manner usually seen in matches between Top 6 or certainly Top 4 sides. I'd like to think we'll see more games like this, but have strong doubts that we will.

On tactics, but with three games played, ASM is leading the league in short and goal creating actions, equal to or higher than KDB. He also leads on carries into the opposition third and into the opposition box, and probably on forward distance carrying the ball. That is not ranked on fbref. Trippier is third in the league in progressive (=forward) passing distance. He's our new deep-lying playmaker, the role we associate with Shelvey and Schar. Bruno has been fouled nine times, third most in the league. ASM has been fouled seven times, or at least seven of them have been given. Its not tactics, but Pope is third in save percentage.

Nice one ON. TheOther14 on Twitter have something similar, but their points target is 39 to avoid relegation. We have four hard games in our first five fixtures this season, and should set our expectations accordingly. Howe had the same thing when he first started, with Bruce having pissed away many easy fixtures at the start of 21/22.

This lad sounds good to me. Given Howe’s transfer success at Bournemouth, I do want us to sign some under-the-radar type, not-so-high-profile players with potential that usually, given Howe's record, goes on to be fulfilled.

Well played to the players, but Eddie is the key man, I reckon. For training them, improving them, and organizing them. What was that stat that flashed up after they scored? Man CIty's record when scoring first since 2021(?) under Pep, P31 W30 D1 L0. We came close to winning this match.

In games against the top six, its P4 W1 D2 L1. In both draws, we were winning in the second half.

Fantastic game, I would say one of the greatest ever in Premier League history. ASM with two assists and also won the free kick for the other goal. Easily his best ever performance for us. Pope was exceptional too. Coming after Brighton last week, I think there must be some Fortress St. James magic going on as well. Onwards and upwards!

BENT REF.

Whatever happens from now on, better than the first Liverpool 4-3 I reckon. This is incredible.

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Wow what a half. ASM has gone supernova. If that's what it takes, get him to move into a toy shop! I fancied Wilson after the early chances and he didn't disappoint with that one. Cool as fuck. Pope looking like England No. 1. Howay the Lads!

Five teams that finished above us last year, Liverpool, Leicester, Wolves, West Ham and Man U are in the bottom six

Given this big spaff on Casemiro, did Man U not consider Kalvin Phillips? He offers pretty much the same thing for a fraction of the price, is much younger, is league tested, home rule player, .... Phillips himself needs to play to cement an England place, but isn't number one DM at Man City.

Gakpo plays on the left. Are they expecting and going to accept a late bid for Rashford? A top European club? Arsenal? Us? Klopp even? Rashford walks next summer and will cost them 40? 50? million in lost transfer fees. A million quid a game on top of his large wages. Ten Haag has come out with "I want him" type comments, but they are no different to what any manager says about any player, e.g., Eddie Howe about Paul Dummett. Another major player walking away like Pogba, this time a non-scapegoat, prolongs the bad smell. Liverpool bit the bullet and sold Mane with a year left on his contract. That's what sensible clubs do.

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Just to anyone mentioning Casemiro being 30, Thiago was 29 and a half when Liverpool signed him. He's a key player there now.

He will be for sale, just at a stupid price. Either a low stupid price set by a release clause (God forbid!) or a high stupid price set by us. I don't do it often but I fired up that Guardian football podcast thing and on it, that Glendenning idiot said Bruno had been awful this season. That's after two games, one of which Bruno dominated. I wish there was a better non-fascist newspaper to read, I really do.

They had a Gibbs and other players with double-barreled names, so easy to get confused. If you are over 50 like me, you probably still associate double-barrelled names with posh people.

Most pundits see Leicester dropping down the league this year. Their 2022 form is midtable and no better. https://www.transfermarkt.com/premier-league/jahrestabelle/wettbewerb/GB1/saison_id/2022 Leceister may have opened negotiations but that doesn't mean he's going to sign. I wouldn't assume this is over just yet. They may have to fight off interest from another big club.

Last few days of the window left, go in for Rashford. If Man U don't sell, he walks for free in summer 23 like Pogba. Rashford in the PL under OGS - 80 games of minutes, 37 goals, 23 assists. He's not played for England since that penalty shootout, and needs a move badly.

I've said it before, but I fully support the club trying to get to 6th/7th without paying anyone over 150k a week. I do think its possible and a realistic goal for this season. Kicking on from there to get into the CL will need players on higher wages. I see it as inevitable. If things aren't going our way with three days or so left in the window, then yes, throw the wage structure out to get the player(s) we need. However, they have to be worth the potential resentment this is going to create among the squad. The window closes with five games played, and I think it would also be worth revising our targets and goals at that point. If we have eight points or more, with two games against the top two and Brighton and Wolves away out of the way, I think European places this season becomes a genuine possibility.

Transfermarkt has Howe in the PL as P28 W14 D5 L9 F31 A35 47Pts 1.68PPG Add the Brentford 3-3 they have down as "Tindall" P29 W14 D6 L9 F34 A39 Pts 1.655 PPG That's 39 conceded in 29. 1.334 average conceded per game, including games with Clark, Darlow, Ritchie at LB, etc. 1.334 times 38 would 51 against for the season. Given the squad improvements, I think par for the goals against column is 45. If Howe himself has a target, I would expect it to be lower. 45 against is Tottenham/Arsenal level. btw, in recent years, a goal difference of zero is enough for seventh or eighth. Over many teams and many seasons, there is very strong correlation between goal difference and points gained. Howe is only 5 goals off a zero goal difference. For the scale of that achievement, it must be remembered that NUFC conceded 80 goals in 2021, a calendar year record.